Split Second
by my own patronus
Summary: Shooting Star AU: There is a real gunman in the halls of McKinley. Sam, in a fit of worry about Brittany, manages to fight off Schuester and Beiste. Blaine follows his best friend and crush into the hallway, refusing to sit by as another friend is hurt. Warnings inside. Originally posted on my tumblr. 8 chapters total.
1. Chapter 1

**a/n: This was originally published on my tumblr and it's complete there. I'm just posting it here for anyone who hasn't read it yet. Enjoy!**

**Warnings: violence, school violence, references to sexual assault, brief Sadie Hawkins flashback**

* * *

In the moments after the first two shots echoed through the halls of McKinley, everyone froze. Suddenly, there were shouts, feet pounding through the halls, screams.

Everyone jumped to action at the same moment.

Coach Beiste ran to lock the doors and turn off the lights. Mr. Schuester got everyone to crouch down against the walls.

There were another few tense seconds of silence before the reality of the situation crashed down upon them all.

This was the sort of thing that you heard about on the TV in some far away town. It affected people, but you didn't know them, and it seemed less real. This couldn't happen at McKinley.

Marley's sob broke through the silence first.

"Guys, I know this is scary, but you have to keep quiet," Mr. Schuester whispered. "Try to text your parents, send out tweets, anything – but don't tell them where we are."

Everyone nodded numbly, glad to have something to do to occupy their minds and hands. Blaine, after helping Artie retrieve his phone from the abandoned wheelchair, pulled his out.

_Gunshots fired at school. Not hurt. Please call the police!_

He sent the message to both his parents and paused before putting his phone away.

_I love you_, he wrote, and sent the message to both Kurt and his brother.

Across the room, Sam was growing panicked. He'd tried texting Brittany – who had left just moments before to go to the bathroom – after his parents, but he could hear her phone vibrating in her bag.

Another shot rang out.

Sam sprung to his feet and ran towards the door.

"Sam! What are you doing?" Mr. Schuester hissed at him.

"Britt's out there, and she doesn't have her phone! I need to make sure she's okay!" he said desperately.

"Sam, you _cannot _leave this room. You will be endangering your life and the lives of all your friends."

"I can't just – Britt's not here!"

"Sam!"

"Sam, please!"

"Just sit down!"

"You can't do anything right now!"

Whispers came at him from every direction, but Sam continued to struggle against his teacher and his coach. He finally managed to break free from their grasps and he charged from the room, slamming the door behind him.

Blaine couldn't help it when he shouted, "Sam!" at the boy's retreating back.

He was standing now, fighting Mr. Schuester in Sam's place now.

"Please, Mr. Schue, please! Sam's gone, and Tina's gone, and I can't let this happen again! I can't just sit around while my friends are hurt!"

"Blaine, you'll do more harm than good!"

"I have to help him, _please_!"

Mr. Schuester pushed Blaine back towards the ground, but Blaine escaped under the man's arms and sprinted out the door as well.

* * *

When Kurt's phone buzzed in the middle of his coffee date with Adam, he ignored it. A few moments later, it buzzed again. After the third time, he looked apologetically at Adam before checking his screen.

The first message was from Blaine: _I love you_.

That was … odd. Sure, the two had been growing closer – and they _had _hooked up at the almost-wedding – but was this really appropriate?

Kurt decided to ignore it and moved on to the next message.

_Bud, something's happening at McKinley. Call me, _from his father.

And another one: _Kurt, I know you don't have class right now. This is important!_

Now Kurt was getting worried. First the text from Blaine, then his father said something happened at McKinley?

"I'm sorry," he said to Adam, "but I need to make a quick phone call."

He put the phone up to his ear. It barely had time to ring before Burt Hummel picked up.

"Kurt," he said, relief flowing through his voice.

"Hi dad. What's up?"

"Kurt, something happened. Something bad. We don't know much yet, and I need you to try to stay level headed about this until I know more. I just thought you should know."

"What, dad?" Kurt asked, panic flowing now.

"There was a shooting at McKinley."

All the color was wiped from Kurt's face. "A – a shooting?" he asked weakly. "What? How, dad? Is anyone – _oh my God, Blaine_!"

"Kurt! I told you, we don't know anything yet! I'll definitely be one of the first to know, as I'm the congressman of that district and you went there. What about Blaine now?"

"He texted me, dad. A minute before you did. All he said was … he just said he loved me."

"Kurt, you don't know what that means. All it shows is that he's alive and okay."

"He could have been dying when he sent that, dad! I have to get home!"

"Calm down, bud. I'll have you booked on a flight tonight or tomorrow morning if anything happens. Just go back to your apartment now and try not to let your imagination run wild."

"Thank you dad. I love you so much."

Kurt ended the call and sat in shocked silence for a moment.

"Is – er – is everything alright?" Adam asked hesitantly.

Kurt didn't even try to pretend. "No," he said, feeling the tears fall. "No, it's not. Can we just go?"

* * *

Blaine practically dove into the empty hallway outside of the choir room. He had no idea where Sam had gone, but he wasn't going to let anything happen to another one of his best friends. He chose a direction arbitrarily – left, because Brittany always says that she prefers the right but she can't tell right and left apart – and began walking.

When he turns a corner, Blaine hears footsteps echoing just ahead of him. Thankful for his Cheerios skills for the second time that day, he dove into a doorway and tried to hide himself.

They grew fainter, and Blaine sighed deeply before returning to the hallway. He sprinted to the nearest girls bathroom and barged in.

There was a quiet rustling, so Blaine called, "Sam? Britt?"

"Blaine?" Sam's voice rung out, echoing strangely in the tiled room. The two blondes stepped out from a stall.

"I'm so glad you're okay," Blaine breathed, running to embrace his two friends.

"What are you doing here, man?"

"I couldn't let you just run off. I've watched friends get hurt before, and I won't let it happen again."

The three friends hugged again, unable to find any words to express the totality of emotions they were experiencing at the moment.

Sam peeked out the bathroom door. "I think the coast is clear. Shall we head back to the choir room?"

Blaine nodded. Sam took Brittany's hand and Blaine followed the blonde couple down the hallway.

* * *

Tina was positively freaking out. "Please, all the glee club is in there!" she screamed to Principal Figgins as he ushered more students out of the school. "All my friends!"

"You cannot return to the building, Ms. Cohen-Chang. It is too dangerous. We still do not know how many gunmen are in there or where they are! You must remain calm."

Tina collapsed on to the ground, looking around pitifully and feeling more alone than ever before.

She watched as a series of heavily armored SWAT men approached the building and eased their way in. At least her friends would be safe soon, she thought, moments before another shot rang through the heavy air.

* * *

They were mere yards away from the choir room door when Blaine heard it. They were the same heavy footfalls as before. "Hurry!" he hissed at his companions, pushing them towards the choir room door.

The man entered the hallway the same moment that the three seniors reached the choir room door.

He was clad only in black and had a large gun in his hands. Blaine couldn't see much of his face, except for his eyes. They were hard, cold, and unforgiving.

Knowing now that there was no need to be quiet any more, Blaine shouted, "Go! Get in there!" as he pushed his companions into the room. The gunman came level with Blaine as he was about to follow them.

Making a split second decision, Blaine grabbed the handle and slammed the door closed, trapping himself in the hallway with the man and his gun.

Time seemed to stop for a moment, and Blaine thought that, just maybe, this wasn't what it seemed.

And then he felt a screaming, searing, red-hot pain ripping through his left side, just below the shoulder. He heard the bang of the discharge a moment later, and then heard the yells that were escaping his mouth.

The man shot a few more times at the door, but never hit Blaine again. Perhaps he thought that the boy was already close enough to death. Perhaps he wanted him to suffer.

* * *

Sam heard Blaine's yell and felt his friend's strong hands on his back, shoving him into the choir room. He was about to turn around, to pull Blaine in after him, but then the door slammed in his face.

"Blaine!" he shouted, but it was no use.

Mr. Schuester and Coach Beiste pulled him and Brittany away from the door, and just in time.

There was a resounding, earsplitting bang – followed by the most painful noise Sam had ever heard. His friend's screams tore through his heart.

"No! Blaine!" he shouted again, trying to fight his way to the door again. But then there was a shower of shots splintering through the wood of the door, and he jumped back.

Everyone around him was sobbing loudly and openly by now, but all Sam could hear was the silence from just outside the door.

Blaine had stopped screaming.


	2. Chapter 2

When the fourth shot of the day was fired, SWAT teams were already in place inside the building. Quietly and quickly, they ran towards the noise, hoping that they would reach the gunman in time. They heard screams, and then another quick succession of four more shots, and then stopped.

Standing in the middle of the hallway was a man with a gun. Near his feet was a collapsed form wearing red and white. A puddle of red grew beneath the unmoving body.

"Freeze and drop your weapon!" Peters, one of the SWAT men, shouted. "You're surrounded. If you do not drop the weapon, we will be forced to shoot!"

The gunman smiled, and lifted his weapon again, as if readying to take another shot. Immediately, Peters raised his own gun, and shot the man cleanly in the kneecap.

In the seconds when the man fell, Peters and his team were able to apprehend him and remove the weapon.

"Gunman is in custody," he radioed back to his chief. "One victim, GSW to the left shoulder. Appears unconscious. Send paramedics immediately."

As the rest of his team carted the gunman away, Peters bent down to inspect the boy that way lying at his feet. He heard a rustle of movement from behind, and immediately turned, hand on his gun. But it was only a man – a teacher, most likely. He looked a little sick.

"I'm sorry, but my kids and I – we're in the choir room, and we just needed to make sure that Blaine's – I mean, he's alive, right?"

"He has a pulse," Peters said, "But I don't know much else. I'm going to have to ask you to step back now, though. You and your students will all need to be interviewed, so if you could just wait in the room, that'd be great."

"Of-of course."

* * *

When the paramedics came rushing out of the building with a bloody form on a stretcher, the entire watching crowd of students fell silent. Until Tina caught sight of the Cheerio's uniform.

"No!" she screamed. "Blaine! No!"

She tried to run to him, to assure herself that he was alive and that everything was okay, but she found herself being held back by a subdued Sue Sylvester. Sobbing, Tina leaned into the formidable woman.

* * *

It was almost four hours later when the rest of the New Directions, Mr. Schuester, and Coach Beiste were released from the school. All were given referrals to trauma psychologists and told that they should rest.

The kids ran to their parents, hugging and sobbing. Emma was waiting outside for Will and she embraced him tightly.

"How's Blaine?" he asked.

"I don't know."

* * *

No one had said the words aloud, but all of the New Directions and their families ended up in the ER waiting room. A distraught Tina was waiting there with Sue Sylvester, who looked shaken and not at all her usual self.

When she caught sight of her friends, new tears sprung to Tina's eyes.

"Oh my God," she cried over and over, "I was so worried about you. I'm so glad that you guys are alright!"

"What about Blaine?"

Tina shook her head, tears falling. "I don't know. The doctors came and got his parents a little while ago, but they haven't told us anything. I just feel so helpless!"

Everyone jumped when Sam's phone rang. They giggled uncomfortably, still obviously on edge after the events of the day, as he pulled it from his pocket.

"Shit," he said. "It's Kurt. What do I do?"

"Answer it!" Tina practically shouted, shoving the phone at Sam's ear.

"Hello?" he said.

"Sam!"

"Hi, Kurt," he said dully.

"What happened? Why isn't Blaine answering his phone? Are you guys alright? My dad won't tell me anything, and the news isn't saying any names, only that someone was shot, and -"

"Kurt!"

"Yes?"

"Please, calm down."

"I can't! I can't calm down!"

"You have to, Kurt, or else I won't tell you anything." Sam knew it was a dirty card to play, but he had no other choice.

Kurt inhaled and exhaled deeply a few times. "Okay. I'm calm. Now, _please_, tell me."

"Kurt," Sam's voice cracked on the word. "Kurt, I'm so sorry."

"No."

"He was trying to protect us."

"No."

"We're at the hospital, but no one know anything."

"No! Sam, please, tell me this is your idea of a terrible joke, _please_! This can't – _Blaine_ can't -"

"I'm so sorry, Kurt."

Kurt was sobbing into the phone, totally incoherent.

"Kurt, I've got to go. Is there someone there with you?"

"Yeah," Kurt hiccoughed. "Adam's here. And Rachel and Santana will be back soon, I think. I'm going to fly out. Tonight."

"Okay. Just – be careful, okay, Kurt?"

* * *

Kurt hung up the phone and began crying in earnest. He felt Adam lean closer to him and wind his strong arms around his body, but all Kurt wanted at that moment was Blaine.

The door to the loft banged open and Rachel and Santana sprinted inside. Obviously, they'd already heard the news. Probably from Brittany. Because Santana's ex – who she was still in love with – was safe and not possibly dying in a hospital room or already dead.

Adam excused himself from the mess of sobbing McKinley graduates, understanding that this was a moment when outsiders weren't appreciated.

"I'll talk to Carmen for you and Rachel," he said standing up. "I'm sure you can miss class for the rest of the week."

Kurt didn't seem to hear, but Rachel nodded to him as he left the apartment.

Once the door was closed, Adam leaned against the wall, sighing deeply. He hadn't heard Sam's words, but he knew. He knew what had happened. He'd seen the news reports with Kurt. He'd heard the younger boy's agonized shouts in denial. It had to have been Blaine.

* * *

Slowly, the kids' parents made them leave the hospital. First were the new members, the ones who hadn't known Blaine as well. Then Brittany and Artie were both forced to leave. Sam's parents had driven up from Kentucky as soon as they heard the news. They had a shouting match in the hallway as they tried to get Sam to leave.

"I can't leave him, mom! He was shot because he made sure that Britt and I got in the choir room safely!"

The family ended up sobbing on each other, not caring if anyone saw. Finally, the two adults agreed to stay with Sam.

Tina's family made her leave at midnight but she first made Sam promise to text her as soon as they knew anything. She would be at the hospital within ten minutes, speed limits be damned.

Finally, the only ones left in the ER waiting room were Mr. Schue, Miss Pillsbury, Coaches Beiste and Sylvester, and Sam and his family. Sam was just dozing off when Blaine's mother emerged from the doors that had swallowed up her and her husband so many hours ago.

"Mrs. Anderson," he said, standing up, all signs of drowsiness completely erased.

The frail woman nodded slightly, and that was all the reassurance Sam needed. He ran to her and tackled her in a deep hug.

"He's alive," she whispered. "But he's not great. The bullet missed his heart by about two inches, but he still lost a lot of blood. He's asleep now, but the doctors said he should be waking in a few hours if everything is okay."

The gathered crowd all sagged in relief, laughing nervously and crying sweetly.

"It's past visiting hours, but I'll call when he wakes up. If – when he gets out of ICU, you can come see him."

* * *

Sam knew that it was 2 am in New York, but he still dialed Kurt's number when Mrs. Anderson walked back to Blaine's room.

"Sam!" Kurt said loudly when he answered, and Sam could hear movements and whispered words from Kurt's end of the conversation. "Rachel and Santana are with me. I'll put it on speaker."

"Hey guys," Sam said, surprised at how tired his voice sounded.

"How is everyone?" Santana asked.

"Brittany's fine. Shaken up, but fine. So is everyone else."

"And Blaine?"

"He's alive."

There was a gasp from Kurt, and it sounded like he started crying again.

"The bullet missed his heart but he still lost a lot of blood. His mom said he should wake up in a few hours."


	3. Chapter 3

Blaine's head was pounding and his throat was unbearably dry. He tried to lift his hand, to reach over to the nightstand and the water bottle that he always kept there, but his arm felt heavier than a thousand pound weight.

Wait.

What was going on?

Blaine couldn't even remember going to bed.

The last time his head had ached this much, this badly, was from the concussion after Sadie Hawkins.

Suddenly, a terrifying thought struck him. What if he had dreamed everything after Sadie Hawkins. People say that sometimes when you have a concussion, you dream about an alternate reality where everything is better. Maybe he had dreamed Dalton and Kurt and McKinley.

But… why would anyone let themselves get hurt in their dreams? Why would anyone fall in love with their best friends, be betrayed by other friends, and lose the love of their life? Maybe he was just that messed up.

Dimly, a steady beeping drifted into his consciousness. Well, that settled it. He was in the hospital. He had merely imagined everything good that had ever happened and now he was going to go back to Truman High and be teased for being the gay dweeb.

In the dream, he'd gotten a concussion and had some bruises. Billy broke his arm and a few ribs. And then Billy disappeared. Blaine had missed Billy in his dream, so maybe waking up now – where it seemed he was hurt worse – he would still get Billy.

He decided that he would open his eyes. He needed to talk to Billy. To explain that he didn't blame him for inviting him to the dance. That that was the happiest he'd ever been, outside of his dream.

Blaine forced his eyes open and was assaulted by a too-bright light. He groaned.

"Blaine?" a woman's voice asked. It sounded choked and sad. It sounded familiar.

He grunted in response, too tired to make any sort of words, head aching too much to open his eyes again.

"Blaine? Are you awake? Can you hear me? Squeeze my hand if you can hear me."

Blaine became aware of the warm presence in his hand and then remembered the voice. His mother. He squeezed the hand as tightly as he could manage.

"Oh, thank God, James, he's awake! Blaine, can you open your eyes for me?"

Blaine tried again, but the lights were too bright and he slammed them shut once again.

"James, turn off the lights!"

Blaine opened his eyes again and let the room stop spinning.

Right next to him was his mother. Her face was streaked with tears. His father was standing nervously behind her, looking older than Blaine could ever remember. Both of them smiled in relief, but the joy did not reach their eyes.

"Oh, baby," Patricia Anderson gasped.

"Mom," Blaine whispered. "Dad."

Their smiled reached their eyes when Blaine spoke.

"How are you feeling, son?" James asked. His voice was so small.

"Um… how's – how's Billy?" Blaine asked.

His parents looked at each other with concern and fear.

"Billy?" Patricia asked.

"The dance," Blaine explained.

They grew even more concerned. "Blaine, the dance … that was three years ago," James said.

Blaine's eyes widened. "It wasn't a dream?"

"What wasn't, baby?"

"Kurt and Dalton and New Directions."

"No, baby, it wasn't a dream."

Blaine smiled. And then… he remembered where he was.

"What happened?" he asked.

"How much do you remember?"

Blaine thought long and hard. He thought about his dream – no, his _life_. He and Kurt had broken up. They made up during _Grease_. They hooked up at Mr. Schuester's wedding. What else had happened?

A blonde face popped into Blaine's head, and he felt himself growing red. Sam. He had a crush on Sam, his best friend. He and Sam saved glee club. They sang together. Sam had said that he was flattered by Blaine's crush. Sam was in love with Brittany. Sam was running after Britt, and Blaine was running after Sam. He was pushing them into the choir room.

His breathing increased and his vision swam. He knew something had happened, something awful had to have happened. But what?

"Sam was panicking about Britt, so I followed him."

"Do you remember why?"

Blaine shook his head.

"What happened?"

"There was a shooting at McKinley," Patricia said.

Blaine could no longer see his parents' faces. He saw the barrel of a gun pointed at him. He heard loud, reverberating bangs around him. He remembered his panic as he realized that he had told his parents he was okay only a few minutes earlier. He remembered the nothing. The black that had enveloped his consciousness.

"Blaine! Blaine! Just breathe, baby. Deep breath, baby!"

His mother's voice cut across his panic. Blaine could feel a deep ache in his chest as his vision grew spotty and the hospital room came back into focus.

"Blaine, are you okay?" James asked.

Blaine nodded, then paused and shook his head. "I remember."


	4. Chapter 4

Kurt was on a flight to Ohio at 6 the next morning. Burt was still dealing with the fallout in DC, so Carole and Finn had promised to pick him up from the airport as soon as he landed. They took him straight to the hospital, where Finn sat with Kurt while Carole parked the car.

Moments after arriving, a disheveled Cooper Anderson came bursting through the door.

"Where is my brother?" he demanded.

"Sir -" a nurse began, but Cooper cut her off.

"Please, my brother – Blaine Anderson. I need to see him!"

"I'm sorry, sir, but he's only allowed on visitor at a time. I can go tell your parents that you're here."

Cooper nodded and turned to the waiting room. When he caught sight of Kurt, he ran up to the boy and hugged him. "Thank you so much for being here," Cooper whispered.

"Of course," Kurt choked out. "How is he doing? I haven't heard anything since last night."

"Mom and dad left me a message while I was on the plane. He woke up this morning. He's – he's in a lot of pain, but he's doing better."

Kurt sagged in relief as Cooper took the seat next to him. "I just can't believe this sort of thing would happen."

"I know," Cooper agreed. "I didn't believe it at first. I was at work, and I got a text from Blaine, which I just brushed off. Then I heard some of the crew talking about how there was another school shooting. I didn't think anything of it until I heard them say Lima. I just -"

"I know," Kurt said hollowly.

"I kept calling my parents, and finally dad answered and said that they were at the hospital, and I just – I lost it. I just ran off of set, I didn't even tell the director or my agent anything – I just packed and went to the airport and bought the first ticket I could."

"It's okay, Cooper," Kurt said. "Blaine's awake. He's going to get better." He wished he could believe those words.

A few minutes later, Mr. Anderson emerged and hugged Cooper. Cooper ran past the man with manic determination. James turned to Kurt.

"Thank you so much for coming, Kurt," he said tiredly.

Kurt looked at the man for a long moment. He looked so much older than the last time Kurt had seen him. "How are you holding up, Mr. Anderson?"

"I know I have nothing to complain about while my – my son is in there, but I don't know if I can handle this again."

"He's strong, Mr. Anderson. Blaine will make it through this and he'll be stronger than ever."

"But he'll never be the same again. I just want my innocent, happy little boy back."

* * *

Sam arrived around 10 since school was cancelled for who knew how long, and Tina showed up not long after. As more and more New Directions filed in, members both new and old, the room grew warmer, but it was still tense.

There was a brief moment between Mr. Schuester and Finn when they saw each other for the first time since their feud. The two men stood opposite each other in silence for a full moment before finally embracing. Finn wasn't totally forgiven, but both were reminded of the fragility of life and importance of friends after the shooting.

Cooper came back to the waiting room around noon, allowing his father to go back with Blaine. Everyone crowded around him for information.

"He's a little confused right now. When he first woke up – he thought that it was his Sadie Hawkins again. But he remembers now. All of it. The doctors don't want us talking about it, though, because every time he thinks about it he starts having a panic attack and they don't want to stress his heart when he just had surgery.

"He'll be moved from ICU in a few days, and then you guys can see him. But thank you all for being here now. I know it means more to him than any of us can say."

Everyone let out a sigh that they didn't realize they were holding in.

"Cooper," Kurt said, approaching the man, "When you go back, can you tell Blaine that – that I got his text and I love him too?"

"Of course, Kurt."

* * *

McKinley opened back up on the Friday after the shooting. Many people grumbled about having to go to school for that one day at all – why not just wait for the weekend? - but the glee club was more than happy to have something to occupy their minds.

Blaine's empty seat in the front of each classroom haunted them.

The police tape in front of the destroyed choir room door and the red stain on the tile floor made it impossible to think of anything else.

And then there was an assembly.

Principal Figgins managed to bring in a psychologist and a grief specialist to talk to the kids. They had asked the New Directions to perform, but none of them were able to sing anymore. Not without knowing Blaine was okay.

* * *

Blaine wasn't okay, but he was getting better.

The police had already come by twice, but each time he started having panic attacks as soon as he tried to speak. He knew how important his testimony was, but he just couldn't think about it yet.

The hospital had already sent a therapist to him, but he refused to talk to the woman. He sat in silence with her for the hour that she was in his room, and cried as soon as she left.

His parents and Cooper were almost always in the room with him, and Kurt was apparently refusing to leave the waiting room. The New Directions stopped by for at least a few hours each day to pass messages to Blaine via his parents.

And tomorrow he would be able to see them.

The doctors said that he was stable enough now that he could be moved from the ICU. Sure, he was still in pain and he was still sleeping more than he was awake and he hadn't even tried to move his left arm, but he wasn't critical anymore. That had to be good, right?

* * *

Once Blaine was settled into his new room, the doctor came in and unwound the bandages around his shoulder, arm, and upper chest.

"We needed to change your bandages, anyway, I wanted to see how your arm is doing. As soon as it's healed enough, we'll get you started in physical therapy."

Blaine nodded, but looked away from the work the doctor was doing.

He felt the doctor's cold fingers poking and prodding at his skin, and he winced away in pain.

"I know this hurts, but your arm is actually looking really good right now. Can you try to move your arm for me?"

Blaine screwed up his face and lifted his arm ever so slightly.

The effort was too much for him. There was a sharp jab of pain, and he let his arm fall back on to the pillows.

"Great job, Blaine," the doctor said.

Blaine rolled his eyes.

"No, really. I'm impressed that you can do that much so soon after the trauma," the man assured.

Blaine smiled weakly. "How much longer until I can actually lift it?" he asked.

"It depends on the person. You're in great shape, you're young, and your body is healing itself really quickly. I'd say that you'll have increased mobility within a week. Your full range of motion won't be restored for quite a while, and you'll have to avoid any heavy lifting, but you're going to heal."

"Guess I can't do Cheerios anymore," Blaine mused.

"What?"

"I was coerced onto my school's cheerleading team, but I guess I can't do that anymore. Coach'll probably kill me for ruining the uniform though. Mom said they cut it off of me back at school."

"I think she'll understand that there were circumstances outside of your power."

"I doubt it. Coach Sylvester is a pretty unreasonable and intense woman most of the time."

The doctor laughed as he began to reapply Blaine's bandages. "Well, I'm sure that you can survive anything she tries to throw at you for that, then. You're a really strong kid, Blaine."

"Thank you," Blaine said quietly.

"You have a bit of a mob waiting for you outside in the hall. I told them they had to wait until I was done with checking your shoulder, but if you're too tired I can send them away," the doctor said when he finished.

"No," Blaine said, stifling a yawn. "I want to see them."

* * *

Kurt was the first one through the door when the doctor left, followed closely by Sam and Tina. Tears sprung to Blaine's eyes when he saw all of their faces.

"Blaine!" Kurt gasped, falling into the chair next to Blaine and taking his right hand. "Don't you ever do that to me again!"

"I'll try my hardest to stay out of the way of armed men from now on," Blaine promised, trying to ease the tension with a joke. It didn't work.

"I'm so sorry man," Sam choked out. "If I hadn't left to go looking for Britt, you wouldn't've followed me. Mr. Schue was right. I was endangering the entire club."

"Sam, no," Blaine said softly. "It was my choice to follow. It was my choice to slam that door instead of trying to get back into the choir room."

"But -"

"Stop, please," Tina said quietly. "Both of you. Stop doing this, and just be happy that Blaine's okay, alright?"

"Tina's right," Kurt said. "You guys have no blame in this at all. It was all that monster's fault, not yours."

"Do they know why?" Blaine asked quietly.

All heads turned to him.

"My parents and my brother refuse to tell me anything and they won't let me watch the news. Did they catch him? Do they know why he chose McKinley?"

Everyone looked around, trying to get someone else to answer. Finally, Kurt spoke. "They said, um, that the SWAT guys got there just as the guy was shooting the door. You were already passed out by then, I guess. But they got him. He was in the hospital for a couple days because they shot him to get him to stand down, but now he's at the jail. They won't tell us anything else yet, just his name."

Blaine nodded. "What's his name?"

"Blaine, do you really want to know this?" Kurt asked.

"Guys, stop treating me like I'm made of glass! That asshole fucking _shot _me. He tried to _kill _me. I think I have a right to know his name!"

"Bryan Jessup. He graduated from McKinley about five years ago."


	5. Chapter 5

**THE LIMA POST  
Sunday, April 14, 2013**

**_McKinley Shooter: What Did He Want?_**

_Last Tuesday, an armed man walked right onto the campus of Lima's William McKinley High School. Bryan Jessup, 23, entered the building with, seemingly, one objective. To terrify the occupants. He fired two shots immediately upon entering, apparently to alert everyone of his presence. Then he stalked the halls._

_Witnesses say that he fired a third shot a few minutes later, once again as a warning rather than aimed towards anyone._

_He walked the halls for twenty minutes without harming anyone or opening any doors – although that's not to say he didn't try. Witnesses report a number of door handles were rattled, but the intruder gave up when discovering they were locked._

_But then, he turned down a hallway and everything changed. Three seniors, including school president Blaine Anderson, 18, were dashing towards the choir room. Anderson shoved his two companions in the room before him, but was unable to save himself in time. Jessup turned the gun on the boy and took one shot. Even from point blank range, however, the bullet missed Anderson's heart._

_By this point, SWAT teams were already in the building, and closing in on the armed man._

_In a strange turn of events, Jessup fired again – four more times, to be specific. But rather than aim them at himself or his still-conscious victim, he shot the choir room door._

_When the SWAT teams caught up to him, he surrendered after a shot to the leg. They took him into custody and brought Anderson to the hospital._

_Anderson was the only victim in the shooting, and the boy is now expected to make a full recovery in Lima Memorial Hospital._

_Why was this shooting so much less bloody and violent than others?_

_Why did Jessup not kill his victim?_

_What did Jessup want?_

_Police are finally answering these questions after extensive interviews with Jessup. These answers are not what Lima residents want to hear._

_Jessup, a McKinley graduate, reportedly was sexually assaulted by former choir director Sandy Ryerson, who was fired three years ago due to similar allegations. Jessup, however, was unaware of these changes – and the fact that Ryerson is not allowed within 500 feet of the school – and went to the school to get justice. Jessup's main – and only – target was the choir room and the choir director._

_Why did he wait so long after the assault?_

_At the time of the alleged incident, Jessup was a 16-year-old boy who was scared to tell anyone what happened. Reportedly, his grades started to decline and he became much more aggressive after the event. He blames Ryerson for his downward spiral, which recently came to a head when Jessup was fired from his job and evicted from his apartment._

_Sandy Ryerson has also been taken into police custody after the recent allegations. There is no further information on the case, however._


	6. Chapter 6

Sunday morning, the police returned. Blaine told them everything he could remember from those tense minutes in the choir room and the hallway. It was weird to think that a moment in time which had suddenly become so important to him really only lasted 30 minutes.

Kurt was there when the police left, and Blaine cried into his ex-boyfriend's shoulder for a full ten minutes before there was another knock at the door.

They looked up and were surprised to see Sebastian, Thad, Jeff, Nick, Trent, and a few other Warblers standing there.

"H-hi," Blaine stuttered, wiping his eyes with his right hand.

"Is now a bad time?" Trent asked nervously.

"No, of course not," Blaine said. "I'm just a little overwhelmed."

"We can totally come back, man," Jeff said.

"Please don't. I really hate being alone," Blaine whispered.

Kurt just squeezed his hand tighter.

"So, how're doing, man?" Nick asked awkwardly.

"Not awful," Blaine said truthfully. "My doctor said that I'll be able to start working on my arm in a couple of weeks. As weird as it sounds, I guess I was pretty lucky that he had bad aim."

The gathered crowd winced collectively, trying not to think about the implications of Blaine's statement.

"Anyway," Sebastian said. "Let's talk about something else. I bet you're sick and tired of people constantly asking how you're doing."

Blaine smiled, thankful for Sebastian.

"How's regionals prep going?" Sebastian asked, a hint of bitter jealousy in his voice.

"Nonexistent. There was a lot of drama with our directors, so we weren't even thinking about that. I guess they'll have to start prepping now, since the competition's in a couple of weeks."

"Well, we'll be there to cheer you on."

"I don't think I can go," Blaine whispered to his blankets.

"Why not?" Trent demanded immediately. "You _have _to go, Blaine. You're the best member of New Directions!"

"I don't know when I'm getting out of here or if I'll be able to dance or whatever in time."

"Oh."

"The Blaine Anderson I know wouldn't let that stop him," Sebastian said. "He would get up from the bed and demand to be allowed to hog the spotlight at Regionals!"

"He has a point," Kurt added quietly.

"I just – I don't know if I'll be ready for it."

"We'll make sure you're ready. Everyone will support you, Blaine," Kurt said. "We all just want to see you smile again."

* * *

The next morning, everyone was back at school except Kurt. He had called Carmen Tibideaux and explained the situation. She told him that he was allowed one more day off of school before he would be penalized, so Kurt vowed to make the most of his day with Blaine.

He packed his laptop and several DVDs into his bag before hugging Carole on his way out the door.

When he got the the hospital, Kurt was thrilled to see that Blaine was sitting up in his bed, reading a book.

"Kurt," he said, unable to hold back his grin when he saw the older boy.

"Whatcha doing?"

"Homework," Blaine said, rolling his eyes. "Mom and Dad still won't let me have my computer or turn on the TV because they're freaked out that I'll see something about it. So all I've got to entertain myself is Huck Finn."

"Well, I guess it's a good think I'm here then," Kurt said. "I've brought the makings of a perfect day."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I mean, I have to go back to NYADA tomorrow, so I decided that today had to be perfect."

"Oh."

Kurt felt awful at the heartbroken look on Blaine's face.

"I really wanted to be able to stay longer, but I can't get out of any more classes without losing the entire semester."

"No, it's okay," Blaine said with fake enthusiasm. "You have a life in New York – school, Vogue, Adam… You really don't need to sit by your ex's bedside as he bemoans his pathetic high school life or whatever."

At the mention of Adam's name, Kurt's stomach clenched. He hadn't called Adam since coming to Lima – and he didn't really feel bad about it at all. "Blaine, you are so incredibly important to me. You're my best friend, and I love you. I'll always love you. Stop tearing yourself down."

"Yeah. Right. Anyway, you said you came prepared?" Blaine asked, trying to change the subject.

"Yep. I brought some movies and a bit of my famous chicken noodle soup because I'm sure the hospital's food is less than satisfactory."

Blaine grinned.

"First, we have the movies that Kurt loves and Blaine also quite enjoys," Kurt said, pulling out_Moulin Rouge, Les Miserables, _and _Chicago_, "then we have the movies that _you _love and I tolerate for … aesthetic reasons." Here, Kurt produced the _Indiana Jones_ and _Star Wars _trilogies. "We also have the 'disgrace to the name of the franchise' movies" - _Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull _and the _Star Wars _prequels - "and finally, there are the classic movies" - _The Philadelphia Story, Sunset Boulevard, _and _Gone With the Wind_.

"Um, wow," Blaine said shyly.

"Pick whichever you want. I will gladly tolerate or enjoy all of them," Kurt assured Blaine when he looked guiltily at the _Star Wars _DVD case. Finally, Blaine's hand stopped above one and he picked it up.

"Perfect," Kurt said as he slid the disc into his laptop.

He arranged himself on the bed next to Blaine as the first notes of music began to leak out of the speakers.

"_There was a boy, a very strange enchanted boy…"_

Blaine was asleep before even "The Pitch (Spectacular Spectacular!)" but Kurt kept watching. He absentmindedly carded his hands through Blaine's hair, and his heart swelled when the younger boy curled into his side.

Kurt could feel his eyes tearing up even before Christian spoke the words about a secret love song. He barely even had to think about this moment to end up in tears. He was so engrossed in the movie that he almost jumped out of his skin when he heard a second, weaker but more beautiful voice, join in time for the first line: "_Never knew I could feel this…"_

Kurt gasped quietly, but still joined in when Satine's part came. The two boys finished the song together, Blaine's voice progressively growing stronger.

"_Come what may, come what may,_

_I will love you until my dying day."_

There was a moment of silence before Blaine spoke again, moving to pause the movie. "I've always meant that, Kurt," he whispered. "I know I made some really bad decisions, but I will always love you. And when I was lying there, all I could think about was you, and how I was so glad that I'd texted you, that I'd had one last chance to remind you that I loved you."

Kurt was fully sobbing now. "Don't talk like that, Blaine, please. It scares me. I hate to think about you, almost – almost dead, especially since – since it would mean that I'd never get to do this again."

Kurt leaned down and placed his lips gently on Blaine's.

"I love you so much and I never want to be without you," he whispered when he pulled away. "I just hate that this had to happen for me to realize."

Blaine didn't say anything, he simply reached up and captured Kurt's lips in another kiss.


	7. Chapter 7

**a/n: this may come as a shock, but I am not a doctor (whoa, right) nor do I know much about medical procedure. I am pretty sure that Blaine is healing a bit too quickly, but this is fanfic. Suspend your disbelief.  
I'm also incredibly sarcastic.**

* * *

There were so many reasons that Kurt was not looking forward to returning to class. He'd already had an incredibly emotional morning with Rachel and Santana and wanted nothing more than to curl up in his bed and sleep for weeks.

But he had to go to class. And going to class meant talking to other people. Going to class meant seeing Adam. What was he supposed to tell Adam? Sure, they'd never been official, but they had been seeing each other.

Kurt found himself flooded with questions about his absence. Surprisingly, Rachel had kept incredibly tight-lipped about the whole affair – both that it was their high school where the most recent shooting had occurred, and that Kurt's boyfriend had been shot.

"I just had to go home to deal with some things," he repeated over and over again until someone finally made the connection.

"Didn't you say that you graduated from McKinley in Ohio?" Amanda, a girl in his acting on camera class, asked as they waited for the professor to arrive.

"Yeah."

"Well? Wasn't that where the shooting was last week?"

There was a shocked gasp as everyone realized that Amanda was correct.

Kurt blinked a few times as he thought again of Blaine. "Yeah."

"Come on, Kurt, you have to give us _something._ Was that why you went home?"

"Did you know anyone who was shot?"

"Did you talk to people who were there?"

"What happened?"

"What did it look like?"

"Guys, shut up!" a voice shouted from the doorway. "Just leave Kurt alone," Adam said as he walked into the room and took a seat next to Kurt.

"You okay?" he whispered to Kurt.

Kurt nodded his head.

"You never texted me or called me or anything. Did something happen?"

"Look, Adam, can we just talk after class?"

* * *

Blaine was finishing his calculus homework when the doctor came back into the room to check up on him.

"You really are a remarkable kid," the man commented lightly.

"How so?"

"Well, you just went through a horrible trauma, and in five days you were strong enough to talk to the police about it. Now, you're sitting here working on homework when you could claim that you were too injured or sick and everyone would believe you."

"Well, I don't exactly have much else to do. When can I go home?"

"That's actually what I was going to talk to you about. If everything keeps improving at the same rates, you should be out of here on Friday."

"Really?"

"Yup."

"That's fantastic. What about school?"

"If you feel up to it, I think you could go back in about a week's time."

* * *

"Adam," Kurt said quietly when they were sitting at their usual table in the NYADA coffee shop.

"Kurt, I know," he cut in quickly before Kurt could say anything else.

"Wh-what?"

"Kurt, I knew we were never going to be more than friends from the moment I met you. You've been in love with Blaine this whole time, and now you're finally admitting it to yourself."

"How?" Kurt asked, dumbstruck.

"It was pretty obvious, actually. It was quite fun to go out with you, and I would have loved something more, but I knew it was never going to happen. So don't worry about hurting me. I knew this was coming from the start."

"Thank you," Kurt whispered.

* * *

"Blainey!" Cooper said as he walked into Blaine's room.

Blaine grunted in reply. "I was sleeping, Coop," he moaned.

"No time for sleep, squirt! Mom and Dad are signing your discharge papers! Ready to go back to the real world?"

"Fuck yeah!" Blaine said, much more energetic and awake than he had been a moment before.

"Good. Now, here's some clothes that we brought from home. Need any help?"

Blaine pinked, but was forced to accept his brother's assistance as he only had one functioning arm at the moment.

"Soon you'll be able to do this by yourself," Cooper consoled in a much more sincere tone than usual. "Don't worry."

"I know," Blaine said. "I just hate having to depend on everyone for every little thing."

"No one's going to think you're dependent or weak, Blaine. You were just fucking _shot_. If anything, they're going to call you Superman. Now … um, if you don't mind, I think we're not even going to try moving your arm right now, okay?"

"Yeah, whatever. I'll just have an empty arm hanging off my shirt and a weird lump in my chest. No big deal."

"Weren't you just in a fantastic mood like two minutes ago? Can we please go back to that?"

"Cooper…"

"Boys!" came Patricia Anderson's warning voice from the doorway. "Can you at least wait to start the bickering at home?"

Both brothers looked a little embarrassed at their mother's remonstration. "Sorry mom," they muttered.

She laughed. "Blaine, there's some people here to see you."

"Who?" Blaine asked, immediately perking up again.

Tina and Sam came running through the door at that moment.

"What are you guys doing here?" Blaine asked. "Aren't you supposed to be at school?"

"Our parents let us skip the afternoon since you're _much _more important. Plus, we wanted to ask you if you wanted to come to glee today."

Blaine blanched. "Glee?" he asked shakily.

Sam immediately picked up on Blaine's reluctance. "We've been practicing in the auditorium for the past week."

"Oh. Okay. Um, I don't know if I'm allowed to…"

"We already asked your mom," Tina cut in. "She said it's okay as long as you don't dance or hurt yourself more. Which I guess means no jumping on furniture."

Blaine laughed. His friends knew him too well. "Well, how can I refuse an offer like that?"

* * *

Blaine, Cooper, Sam, Tina, and the Anderson parents stopped at Breadstix on their way back to McKinley. Blaine knew that every eye in the establishment was focused on him and only him, but he refused to give them any mind. He was more than a little embarrassed, however, when he had to ask Cooper to cut up his chicken for him since he only had the one arm.

When the meal ended and it was almost time for glee club, Mr. and Mrs. Anderson departed, leaving Blaine and Cooper to head to McKinley with Sam and Tina.

"We're so excited that you're coming today!" Sam gushed.

"Yeah, everyone's been asking about you," Tina gushed.

"We're all really sorry that we haven't been able to visit that much, but you know… school."

"Yeah," Blaine agreed faintly. "It's fine. Cooper and my parents have been with me. Plus, the nurses were pretty cool."

"When are you coming back for real?"

"I think next Wednesday, if everything continues to improve. Hopefully I won't have my arm attached to the side of my body by then and I'll actually be able to get dressed properly and use it and stuff."

Cooper helped Blaine into the backseat of Tina's car, but knew to wait for Blaine to ask for help with the seatbelt. After a minute's struggle, the boy managed to wrestle it around his body and only needed Cooper to hold the buckle for him.

They got to McKinley just as classes were letting out, so they waited in Tina's car until most of the student population had filtered out of the building. Blaine really technically wasn't supposed to be going out yet, and getting jostled by a large crowd of kids certainly wasn't a good way to start his first day out of the hospital.

"No one knows you're coming," Sam said. "We weren't sure if your mom would let us kidnap you, and we wanted it to be a surprise anyway. So be really quiet and don't come in until I tell you, alright?"

Blaine laughed at his best friend's theatrics. Sometimes the boy was more dramatic that Rachel – just in a friendlier and more selfless way.

Blaine stood with Cooper in the auditorium lobby, self-conscious of his messy appearance. His hair was unstyled and frizzy, he was wearing his thick framed glasses, and his shirt was awkwardly pulled over his body.

"Hey Mr. Schue," Sam greeted.

"You guys are late," Mr. Schuester said.

"Sorry," Tina said quietly. "We had a quick errand to run after school."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Actually, we had to get something that we think will really help us for regionals." Blaine could hear the smile in Sam's voice.

"Really? And what was that?"

"Bring him in!" Sam shouted to the door.

Cooper pushed it open and ushered Blaine in before him.

"Blaine!" came squeals from several of the girls at one time.

"Dude!" Ryder shouted.

"When'd you get out of the hospital?" Jake added.

"About three hours ago maybe? These two kidnapped me, so my mom sent Coop along to supervise. Although I don't really think he's the best to be making sure I don't hurt myself."

"Hey!" Cooper shouted in indignation.

"You _were _the one who convinced me that I would fly if I jumped from somewhere high enough when I was 8," Blaine shot back, effectively shutting Cooper up.

"How are you, Blaine?" Marley asked seriously, immediately turning the mood from one of playfulness to a much more serious one.

"Been better. Although, the drugs they keep pumping through me are _fantastic_."

"What about your arm?"

"I don't really know. I mean, I can kinda move it a little, which my doctor says is a good sign."

"Well, it's great to see you, man," Ryder said.

"Yeah," Blaine agreed. "I missed you guys! But – you guys need to get back to practice now."

Mr. Schuester looked at Blaine gratefully as the New Directions gathered on the stage. It felt very weird to not be up there with them, which Cooper seemed to sense right away.

"Don't worry, squirt. You'll be back up there before you know it."

* * *

Almost the exact second Blaine walked through the front door of his house, his phone – which his parents had returned to him upon being discharged from the hospital – began to ring.

"Hello?" he asked, not bothering to look at the caller ID.

"Hey handsome. How was glee?"

Blaine's heart sped up as he heard Kurt's voice, even if it was slightly distorted by the phone lines. "It was … weird. But really good to see everyone. How did you know?"

"I have my ways."

"Sam and Tina?"

"Of course," Kurt laughed.

"I miss you," Blaine said, voice slightly more desperate than he had intended.

"Blaine, we just saw each other on Monday."

"I know, but after everything that happened – I just really don't like being apart from you."

"I wanted to talk to you about that, actually," Kurt said.

"What do you mean?" Blaine asked, worry coursing through his body. Was Kurt about to tell him that it had meant nothing?

"Stop freaking out, Blaine. This is good, I promise."

"Okay," Blaine agreed, still not totally convinced. "Do you think you could hold on for like a second so I can go to my room first?"

"Oh! I thought you were already back!"

"You caught me just as I walked in the door."

"Well then, get upstairs and then I'll talk."

Blaine ran up the stairs as best he could and launched himself on his bed. "Okay, talk."

"Well, I talked to Adam when I got back to school -"

"Oh."

"No, no, no! I said this was good, remember? Apparently I've been in love with you this whole time."

Blaine sucked in a sharp breath but refused to talk.

"I hate to think that I've been so stupid these past few months, but you know how stubborn I can get."

Blaine chuckled.

"So, I'm calling to ask … Blaine Anderson, will you be my boyfriend again?"

Blaine was sure his heart stopped at Kurt's question. He wouldn't have even minded if it had, he was so happy in that moment.

"Kurt…" he finally gasped out. "Yes! Of course!"

Kurt giggled on the other end of the line. "Good. Now, I'm going to let you get settled in, but do you want to skype later? I promise I'll always answer your calls this time around. I've already almost lost you twice. I'm not going to let that happen again."


	8. Chapter 8

The morning of Blaine's first day back at McKinley found the boy standing in front of his mirror. He analyzed his outfit carefully. Thankfully, most of his clothes worked well with accommodating his stiff arm and sling; he was wearing a green button up and a black cardigan, and of course, the sling to support his left arm.

He had started physical therapy two days before, on Monday. Blaine wasn't sure which he preferred. Before, he could barely move or feel his arm, other than the constant throb in his shoulder. Now, there was ever-present pain throughout the entire limb. His physical therapist had explained that they needed to work on mobility and strength building, but Blaine was sure that it was just a fancy way of saying they wanted to torture him some more.

The one good thing in his life at the moment was Kurt. True to his word, the other boy had made sure to schedule time for Skype dates and phone calls with Blaine every day.

Blaine knew he had every right to be nervous about returning to school. His parents had even offered to let him take another week off. But he hated the idea that he was hiding away, once again, from everything bad rather than confronting it.

He grabbed his satchel and slid it on his right shoulder before heading downstairs to meet his mother.

* * *

As soon as he stepped through the front door, Blaine knew that every eye was on him. Students and teachers alike weren't even attempting to hide their gapes as he slowly began to walk down the hallway. He shivered nervously and clutched the leather strap of his bag tighter before heading to his locker.

To his immense relief, Sam and Tina were waiting for him.

"Thought you might need a few friendly faces," Sam commented.

"You have no idea. Have you ever wondered what it feels like to be an animal in a zoo? Because I can assure you that it sucks."

His friends laughed sympathetically as they walked toward their first period class. Blaine stopped by the teacher's desk and struggled for a few minutes to pull his homework from his bag before taking his seat. There was a flurry of movement as he turned toward the desks as his classmates pretended to be busy.

This was going to be a long day.

* * *

The first big problem that Blaine encountered was when he was walking with Marley and Tina to the cafeteria. When they were about to turn down a hallway, Blaine froze suddenly.

"Blaine?" Tina asked, concern evident in her tone.

"It's stupid," he said quietly, shaking his head. "I just… I can't."

The two girls exchanged confused looks before realizing what Blaine was talking about. Just down the hallway was the still-locked choir room. No one had dared to enter it since the shooting.

"Of course," Marley said.

"We can take the science hallway instead," Tina added. "That'll probably be less crowded for you, anyway."

"I'm sorry," Blaine whispered as the two girls turned him around.

"Don't be, Blaine. No one here is going to judge you for anything."

* * *

Blaine couldn't go to glee club after school; he had physical therapy instead. It would continue like this for however long his therapist deemed necessary. His parents had offered to change the appointment time, but Blaine had said no. He didn't want to tell them how scared he was.

Still, everyday at lunch, the other glee members talked about the amazing solo they had planned for him at regionals. He smiled tightly at them, but said nothing.

* * *

Kurt was the one who finally realized what was going on.

"Why don't you want to be in glee anymore?" Kurt asked bluntly during one of their skype dates.

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, Sam said that you rarely show up when they have rehearsals planned during the school day, and I know that your parents said you could change your PT so you could make it to glee."

"Who told you that?"

"Cooper. He's really worried about you, Blaine, and he hates that he had to go back to LA before you were better."

"I'm _fine_, Kurt."

"Really, Blaine? Because the Blaine Anderson that I know could never consider himself anywhere close to 'fine' if he wasn't performing every chance he got."

"Yeah, well, I've changed a bit in the last few months, Kurt."

"Blaine, please. _Talk_ to me. I want to know what's going on in your life. Communication is the key to making this work again."

Those were the magic words.

"I'm scared," Blaine whispered.

"Why, baby?"

"I know it's stupid, but it's just – we were having a glee meeting when – when _it _happened. I can't even walk past the choir room, did you know that? How am I supposed to stand on a stage and sing my heart out when every second I'm terrified that _something _is going to happen?"

"Blaine, baby, it's okay to be scared. It's normal to be scared. But the glee club – they're your friends. They want to be there for you, to take care of you and protect you. And I'm worried about you pulling away again."

"I just hate all this attention. And I feel like keeping up with glee will get me more."

"Blaine Anderson _hates _attention? Who are you and what have you done with my boyfriend?" Kurt asked, trying to alleviate the mood.

"You know what I mean, Kurt. I hate people staring at my arm like I'm some kind of … circus act or something. And I'm afraid that that's all people are ever going to think of me again."

"So show them they're wrong, Blaine. Go downstairs, tell your mom you want to change your PT, go to glee tomorrow, and help them blow the roof off at regionals."

Blaine smiled in spite of himself. "Okay. I love you."

"I love you, too."

* * *

Blaine's first glee club rehearsal was just one week before regionals. He tried to convince everyone that he should just sing in the background, that someone who had been there the whole time deserved a solo, but they insisted.

"It's the perfect song for you," Brittany insisted, about Pink's newest single.

Blaine grinned, but still spoke up. "Actually, I have a different idea."

* * *

No one in the glee club breathed a word of Blaine's plan for regionals. That wasn't the only secret, however. Despite constantly bemoaning the fact that he couldn't see Blaine, Kurt had already purchased his tickets home. He planned to surprise his boyfriend backstage after regionals and then take him out for a romantic dinner. Both boys were in for surprises when the competition rolled around.

Blaine's arm was slowly healing. He could move it and was allowed to lift very light things with it now, which made his everyday life much easier. He still had to wear it in a sling, of course, but it wasn't as uncomfortable as it had been at first.

The Warblers came to support Blaine at regionals – except Hunter, of course – and they all greeted him backstage before the show.

"Thanks, guys, _really_," Blaine said, embracing each of his old friends in an awkward one-armed hug, "you have no idea how much you've helped me these past few weeks."

"Anytime," Jeff said.

"Once a Warbler, always a Warbler, right?" Trent added.

Blaine laughed and talked with them for a few more minutes before rejoining the New Directions. They were up last, which Blaine was thankful for, because he didn't think he'd be able to stay in the auditorium much after his performance. He politely cheered for the Unitards and Aural Intensity as they performed, but felt confident that he and his teammates would blow them away.

The first two songs in their set were happy but subdued, filled with all the energy and emotion expected from a New Directions performance, but there was a new depth and truth to their voices.

The lights went down at the end of the second song, and Blaine took a deep breath as he walked to the microphone at center stage.

The spotlight found him a moment later, and he took a deep breath as he began to sing.

"_Last day of the rest of my life  
I wish I would've known  
Cause I didn't kiss my mama goodbye…"_

There was a gasp throughout the audience as people began to realize what the song was despite the major rearrangement and, more importantly, who was singing it. Blaine ignored the crowd, and focused instead on forcing the words out of his mouth. This was just as hard - if not harder - than confessing to Kurt that he had cheated all those months ago.

"_But who knew that this day wasn't like the rest  
Instead of taking a test  
I took two to the chest._

_Call me blind, but I didn't see it coming  
Everybody was running  
But I couldn't hear nothing._

_Except gun blasts, it happened so fast."_

Blaine looked up for the first time, his tear streaked face betraying all his fear to the crowd. One face, one face that he hadn't been expecting, stood out to him more than any other. Kurt.

The rest of the New Directions joined him on stage in time for the chorus.

" _We are, we are, the youth of the nation.  
We are, we are, the youth of the nation."_

There was no choreography, no special New Directions flair. They had only rehearsed the song twice, maybe three times. And that made the performance all the more raw and powerful.

"_Who's to blame for the lives that tragedies claim  
No matter what you say  
It don't take away the pain_

That I feel inside, I'm tired of all the lies  
Don't nobody know why  
It's the blind leading the blind

I guess that's the way the story goes  
Will it ever make sense  
Somebody's got to know

There's got to be more to life than this  
There's got to be more to everything  
I thought exists"

Blaine took a deep breath, barely able to force out the last words of the final chorus. He felt a warm hand inside his right, and looked to see Sam smiling at him through the tears. From his left, Tina threaded her arm around his waist.

As one, the group took a breath and sang, "_We are, we are, the youth of the nation._"

The music ended, and the auditorium was deafeningly silent. Blaine collapsed into Sam's arms seconds before Kurt, the Warblers, and his parents all stood up, tears streaming down their faces, and began to applaud.

When the curtain fell, the applause was still going, but Blaine didn't notice any of that. None of the New Directions did. They huddled together, hugging each other tightly, crying.

"Thank you guys," Blaine whispered.

* * *

Kurt tore backstage as soon as the curtain went back down. He was blinded by his tears, but still managed to fight his way back there. When he found the green room, he burst in without a second thought for anything else.

"Blaine," he sobbed, finding his boyfriend surrounded by his teammates.

Blaine let out a strangled sob and ran into Kurt's arms, not caring about his still-tender left shoulder.

"Kurt," he sobbed. "Kurt, I love you. I love you so much."

"I know, Blaine," Kurt consoled. "I love you, too."

* * *

The New Directions were announced as the winners of regionals, but Blaine couldn't focus on that. All he could think about was a more important personal victory: His strength had won out over his fear.

* * *

_fin_.

* * *

**Thanks for reading, everyone! Originally this was just a quick drabble which was why I was posting it here first, and then it just … grew.**

**Song featured in this chapter is "Youth of the Nation" by P.O.D. I usually try to avoid including copious amounts of lyrics in fics - when I'm reading other fics, I usually just skip them - but this one was too hard to cut. The lyrics - inspired by the 2001 Santana High School shooting (and also Columbine) - are just too powerful. The New Directions perform an acoustic version of the song, a bit softer and more lyrical, but still emotional. The actual song isn't really my preferred kind of music which is why the New Directions rearranged it so much in my story :)**


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